China: Purged Bo Xilai’s son defends his father.

2 October 2012. Bo Guagua, son of Bo Xilai, said in his blog post that allegations levelled at his father, including corruption, complicity in murder, and multiple adulterous affairs, are “hard to believe”.”It is hard for me to believe the allegations that were announced against my father, because they contradict everything I have come to know about him throughout my life,” he said. “Although the policies my father enacted are open to debate, the father I know is upright in his beliefs and devoted to duty.” This statement is not going to have any impact in Bo Xilai’s pending trial. Party leaders have already taken a decision as to how to deal with Bo Xilai. Now they are moving re-focus attention on the coming leadership change. The whole episode exposed tension within the party ranks from grass root to Politburo’s Standing Committee. Bo is likely to face, is not related to financial misdemeanours — many officials in today’s China may perhaps be guilty of them. His crime, they say, is far more serious: he challenged the rules of the system in an ambitious quest for power. At the same time, the 25-member Politburo also made the long overdue announcement of the opening of the party congress, now scheduled for 8 November 2012 when President Hu Jintao will step down as party boss and Vice President Xi Jinping will succeed him. The nine men on the Politburo’s Standing Committee appeared together, in public, at a reception to mark 63 years since the founding of the People’s Republic. The Global Times, a Party-run paper, welcomed that “the date of the party congress and the handling of Bo, two topics that have drawn huge attention, have finally became clear,” saying it “demonstrates the ability of the [Party’s] Central Committee to reach consensus on major issues.” In its comment, The Global Times said: “China cannot expect to run anything, including politics, entirely smoothly. The frenzy of public opinion before the congress may offer some materials for authorities to reflect on. Chaotic public opinion is a result of lack of information.” Over the weekend China’s media has been carrying commentaries to spread the party line on Bo Xilai’s case. His downfall is being presented as an important signal that the party will not tolerate corruption. China must steadfastly advance institutional reforms in economic, political, cultural, social and other fields and stick to the opening-up policy, Premier Wen Jiabao said in Beijing on Saturday. As to the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the premier said that it will be an important meeting “for us to build on past achievements and open up new prospects for future development.”